The Grand Imam warns against being deceived by the Creator's bounty, emphasizing: “Allah judges and watches.”

During the fifteenth episode of the TV program "Imam Al-Tayyeb", the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, provided a detailed explanation of Allah's name "Al-Kareem" (The Most Generous). He emphasized that it is one of the beautiful names mentioned in the Holy Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah and proved by Muslims’ scholarly consensus.

His Eminence explained that the name “Al-Kareem” is mentioned explicitly in the Holy Quran, as Allah Almighty says, “O humanity! What has emboldened you against your Lord, the Most Generous?” (Quran, 82:6). In addition, it is mentioned in Prophetic hadiths, such as the saying of the Prophet [PBUH]: “Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, is Generous. He loves the highest morals and hates vile behavior.”

The Grand Imam explained that the name “Kareem” (The Generous) comes in the “Faʿeel” form, which can carry the meaning of the passive participle (such as “Mukram” – “one who receives the action”) rather than the active participle (“Fāʿeel”), saying: “This name comes in the Islamic tradition in this specific form rather than the standard derived form (Kareem), as the Beautiful Names of Allah are tawqīfiyyah — they are taken exactly as they have been transmitted.” He added that the meaning befitting Allah Almighty is that of “Al-Mukrim” — the One whose generosity is inseparable from His essence, unlike human beings, whose generosity is a temporary action or trait.

His Eminence touched on the explanation of Judge Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi in his book “Al-Amad Al-Aqsa”, which listed 16 meanings for Al-Kareem (the Generous), including those that apply to Allah Almighty, such as “the One with abundant goodness”, “the One who is quick to give”, “the One free from shortcomings”, and “the One who gives without expecting anything in return”. He excluded one meaning that is not befitting of Allah, which is “the One who gives and expects a favor in return”, emphasizing that Allah Almighty gives without expecting thanks or a favor from anyone.

The Grand Imam emphasized that human generosity is limited by human inclinations and the temptations of Satan, as man is torn between miserliness and generosity, while Allah's generosity is absolute and flawless. He also noted that Allah's generosity combines the attributes of majesty (as an intrinsic attribute) and the attributes of actions (as a renewed giving), while man's generosity is linked to his states and circumstances. His Eminence warned believers against being deceived by Allah's generosity, although he emphasized that the name "the Generous" inspires optimism. He said, “Do not be deceived by this generosity, for Allah holds accountable and watches over all," pointing to the balance between Allah's mercy and justice.